

|

Clipper 2002 - 4th Clipper round the world race (Amateure)
- zur Übersicht
Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Clipper _blanks"
Datum: 20. Aug 2003 10:59
STOP, GO!
"Aha, we've just seen our old comrades Liverpool Clipper due west on the
horizon. Heavyweight up, I think..." So wrote Glasgow Skipper Rupert
Parkhouse last night and it is remarkable to note that in a race that has
been characterised by the unusually large split in the fleet since leaving
Salvador, here we are some three thousand miles later with two boats in
sight of each other.
|
|
Fortunes seem to seesaw with every sched at the moment. After blasting along
in clear air yesterday, Jersey Clipper has slowed right up today and is
sailing well to the west of where the crew want to go; whilst those behind
are eating up the gap having surged free from the grip of the low pressure
ridge that had acted as a hurdle for the whole fleet.
Only Cape Town Clipper off to the west seems to reindex affected, with the
slowest day's run of 92 miles.
The big _blanks weather wise is that the wind has been steadily heading the
fleet, hence Jersey's less than ideal course. As the wind has come around,
so spinnakers have come further forward, peeled to the flatter heavyweights,
and eventually replaced completely by genoas or jib and staysail.
Once again the debate over which combination is faster will be raging.
Glasgow Clipper will be at a small disadvantage as their wind instruments
snapped and fell off the top of the mast yesterday. This was not caused by
force of wind but from the recoil of a snapping spinnaker halyard, which
snaked back and neatly decapitated the wind wand. Luckily the sail was fine
as the Glasgow crew were sailing with doubled up halyards for just such an
eventuality. Experience pays dividends!
Two boats have commented on the amount of rubbish they have seen floating -
a sad statement about the state of our oceans. Jersey Clipper actually
diverted towards a large UFO (unidentified floating object) only to find
that it was a large piece of polystyrene. This has to be one of the least
biodegradable items of man's flotsam and jetsam and seemingly no part of the
ocean is sacrosanct.
The _blank York and London teams continue to motor sail towards Bermuda. After
the breeze slowly died, _blank York Clipper had to take the sensible but
unwelcome decision to stop racing and motor with rival London to make best
speed towards Bermuda, where they will have a quick refuelling pitstop
before racing on to their destination of _blank York.
The race office team now await the fleet's arrival from their stopover base
at the famed Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. On arrival in _blank York, the
eight Clippers will berth alongside the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid - one
of the most successful ships in U.S. history.
Clipper 2002 -Race 14 Positions
03:00, 20 August 2003
Pos Yacht Dist To Finish (Nautical Miles)
1 Jersey 412
2 Hong Kong 515
3 Bristol 708
4 Liverpool 791
5 Glasgow 793
6 Cape Town 854
7 _blank York 250
8 London 250
* _blank York and London are showing distance to Bermuda
CLIPPER _blankS DISTRIBUTION:
Clipper Ventures Plc
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 237088
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 237081
Email: distribution@clipper-ventures.com
Website: www.clipper-ventures.com
Clipper 2002 Round the World Yacht Race
Race 14 Salvador to _blank York ETA 22/08/03
|
Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE
|
|
|